Gay Marriage Debate – Mitt Romney vs. the Gay Vietnam Veteran

Talk about walking into a fire storm… Governor Mitt Romney, hot on the campaign trail, stopped by a table in a restaurant in New Hampshire to ask for the vote of Bob Garon, a 60+ year old Vietnam veteran. He probably assumed that was a safe demographic for a Republican candidate, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Turns out, that vet is gay. Married. And a staunch proponent of equal rights for gay marriage. Bob Garon of Ebson, N.H., only had one question for Mitt – Yes or no. Do you support gay marriage?

What’s Behind the Viewpoint?

This short interview with Mitt answers the question, what? But not, why? Leaving both sides to fill in the blanks. Here is an extreme position against gay marriage equality in which the woman argues that gays routinely murder, rape and molest others including children.

And here is the exact opposite position, from a 19 year old college student who was raised by a gay couple.

Presumably Governor Romney’s viewpoints fall somewhere in the middle?

Gay Rights – An Age Battlefront

It has become extremely clear that the opinions of the elderly are almost exactly the opposite of the view of the young when it comes to equal marriage rights for gays. According to this study, produced for ABC News:

Support for gay marriage reaches 69 percent among adults under age 30 (with 51 percent “strong” support), compared with just 38 percent of seniors.

My Opinion

This view point illustrates a growing form of class warfare between the elderly and younger generations. Mitt Romney was probably technically correct when he said:

“At the time the Constitution was written it was pretty clear that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

However, the US Constitution itself doesn’t even mention the word marriage. And it’s clear that virtually every opponent of gay marriage rights holds that view based on religious values – a position not supported by law in the United States.

Gays seeking to marry frequently cite benefits, such as healthcare and paternity issues, as major areas of inequality. They also lack significant legal rights, for example if a partner becomes hospitalized their wishes could be over-ridden by a blood relative. Even one who hadn’t had contact for decades.

The Bottom Line

This means that elderly citizens, who are soon to be dependent on the youth, are teaching them how to deny the rights of a large group – roughly 20-25% of the population.

That’s a lesson the young will not forget. And when the aged cry out for help in the future, they will likely receive as much compassion as they have invested.

Zero.

So, if forced to take religious viewpoints completely off the table, what is the argument against equal marriage rights for gays? (Remember – you get ZERO points for a religion-based argument.)

About John P.

John P. is a former CEO, former TV Show Host, and currently an unemployed bum. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Feel free to send shoutouts, insults, and praise. Or Money. Money is good.

I think it odd that Romney is attacked by both sides in the gay marriage debate. Even more interesting, he is the one that is directly responsible for gay marriages being performed in Massachusetts today. Romney is the one that gave the order for clerks to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, and per the anti-gay crowd, Romney was not required by law to do that.

Ditto Jeff and Wendy. When I was much younger, I was told that if I didn’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask the question. There are absolutely no surprises in Gov. Romney’s response and I thought he handled it quite nicely. The Veteran is to be thanked and commended for his service to our country but I am not impressed with the way he handled this. Can we move on, please?

Asking those of us that have religious convictions to set aside our beliefs is no different than saying we have no compassion for those that are gay. In many arguments there comes a point where people have to agree to disagree and not be hurt because of it. This is one of them. I don’t believe in gay marriage, but my feelings aren’t hurt that those who do attack my beliefs. I just know their belief in their way of thinking is just as strong as mine.

I am so sick of this conversation! What I despise is wishy-washy, for purchase politicians. Romney has an opinion that is his own. The man asked his opinion. Romney gave his opinion. What the heck! If Romney didn’t answer, the man would have been upset. Because he did answer, the man is still upset. Just choose the candidate that most closely resembles your beliefs, has a good history, is qualified, has goals for our country that you can stand behind and cast your vote. So much time, energy and news is wasted focusing on the same subject matter repeatedly. Next…